Match-box.



R. W. WILKES.

MATCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAH. 1915.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

, Lacuna.

l iD sTATEs PATENT OFFICE ROBERT W. wILiEs, or YoNKEns, NEW YORK.

MATCH-nox.

Specification of Letters '.atent.

Patented Dec. 5, i916.

To all LU/wip may cob/tecra I Be it known that I, Boissier WILKns, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Yonkers, countyo'fVVestbliester, and State of New AYork, 4have invented certain new and ii'sefulImprovements in Matclroxes; and I do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towwhich it 'appertains to. `1n"ake and use the same. Y I

This invention 'relates to match-boxes of typeconsisting of` a box, an lopen-ended cov'rerwithin which the boxis slidable,and afoldable/tiayat kone end ,of the box held in the closed position when the box is wholly within the cover, and, when the box has .been moved partially ont ofthe cover, adapted lto beturn'ed to an lopen inclined position so that the 'matches'may be readily taken from vthe I Y neof the features of the present invention .involves the 'provision of a matchbox of` this character' haying an improved `form of vreceptacle for the used matches. vIn 'the useA of boxes ofthe type 'above'referred to, it has been the common practice to utilize as a receptacleA for ,y the used matches the space above the. upper end of the box andlwithin the upper end of the lcoveiwhen the box and `'cover 'are in an upright position and the moved to ,the position foropening theutray. AThe receptacle -for the used matches thus formedhis of small `capacity as compared to the capacity of thev boxfor unused matches and when" boxes of this character arein use, the receptacle for the used matches usually becomes `filled long before ,the supply of matches the box exhausted: Thisobjectionablecharacteristic. of boxes of this type. asleletforefmade .iS lienated. in. a construction embodying Athenprese'nt invention, wherein the, receptaclev for the-used .matches is soformed'that increases ,in size askthe supply of matches in the box decreases.I This is accomplishedjby ntilizi ing a flexiblev strip as the closure for the upper endpof thebox when the box is monnted inthe usualnpright position. This ilexible strip forms the sole ,partition between the interior of the box and the receptacle for the used matches, so that as the supply of matches Within "the box diminishes and the upper level thereof falls, this i'exible strip bends so as to lower thelevel of the bottom of the receptacle and thus increase the capacity ofthe receptacle. In this way, the space iavailable forA usedmatches increases 'as the matches in the box are used until it reaches a size sufficient to hold lthe used sticks of all of the matches originally in the box.

, Another feature of the present invention involves the provision of certa-in improvements in the construction of the fol'dable tray. In these boxes as heretofore made., the trayv has been connected to the front edge ofthe end of the box and as a result, whenthe box is in the upright open positioii,this end wall, which then constitutes the bottom of the receptacle for the matches, is h`oi izontal.\ By reason of this construen tion, the matches do not move from the receptacle proper Aout into kthe tray as freely as is desirable. Furthermore, when the supply of matches in the box is neary exhausted, the lastones lie close tothe bottom of theireceptacle at the rear edge of the end Wall of the receptacle and are therefore not easily `reached. Inaccordance with the present invention, the tray is pivotally connected, not to the front edge of the end `'wall of the box, but to the end of the bottom of the box so that the piece which constitutes theend wall of the box when the box is closed forms one ofthe walls of the tray. Ars a result, movement of the tray to the open position causes this wall, which then forms the bottom of the tray, to move to an inclined position. This inclination of the piece which forms the support for the matches causes the matches to move freely out into the tray when the box is being placed in the open position and also the last matches remaining in the box move to the gfrontof the box where they can be readily grasped.

Ihe construction which I prefer to employ is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichv l Figure 1 is a front View of the box kshowing the parts thereof in the open position; Fig.` 2 is a central section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a side view of the box showing thevcover'partially broken away in order to disclose tlietray.

Referring to 'these drawings, the cover is shown at 4 and consists of a tube of rectangular cross section, open at its ends, formed by folding a piece of stiff paper or cardboard to a rectangular shape. This openended cover is adapted to receive a rectangular box consisting of a bottom 5 and sides 6. The bottom 5 is extended so as to provide a flap which may be bent to form the end 7 andthe top piece 8. At its lower end, the bottom 5 is extended to form a tray con. sisting of a bottoni 9, front 10 and sides 11. Theblank from 'which the box is formed'is cut out to such a -shape that the sides 11 and front 10 are integral with the bottom 9 of the tray, and the bottom 9 is integral with the bottom 5 of the box. With the blank so cut, the sides 11 and front 10 are bent so that they lie at a right angle to each lother and to. the bottom 9 of the ktray and the lower edges of the sides 11 are then secured to thebottom 9 by paste. The tray thus formed isintegrally connected to the bottom 5 of the box and may bel turned relatively thereto so that the bottom 9 of the tray lies at a right angle to the bottom 5 of the box and forms the end of the box, the parts being then in the position shownin Fig. 3. Also, the tray may be turned to the inclined position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, the connection of the rear edge of the bottom 9 of the tray to the lower edge of the bottom 5 of thebox then forming a pivot about which the tray turns. When the box lies whollywithin'the cover 4, suoli 35 turning movement of the tray is precluded by the cover 4, as is shown in Fig. 3, but by moving the box slightly out of the cover 4 to the position shown in Fig. 2,*the tray may be turned on its pivotal-connection as above described. This turning movement is arrested when the extensions 12 ofthe tray engage the front wall of the cover 4, as is shown in Fig. 2.

` When the box is in the closedposition, the fold 7 closes one end of the box and is held in its proper position by the front 8 which extends within the cover 4. In opening the box, the folds 7 and S'are turned to an upright position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and a tack by which the box is hung upon the wall is driven through the hole 13 in flap 7. Y

Ar flexible strip 14 has its lower end secured by paste to the inner surface of the bottom 5 of the box and extends along the bottom 5 and flaps 7 and 8 when the box is 4in the closed position. Onopening the box to the position shown in Figs. l and 2, the upper end of this flap 14 is carried forward over the front wall of the cover 4 and is folded so as to catch upon the upper edge of that kforms a partition, as shown at 15 in Fig. 2,

closing the upper end of the receptacle for the matches and forming the bottom of a receptacle at the upper end of the cover 4 for the used matches as shown at 16 in Fig. 2. i L .j

By this construction it will be seen that the portion 15 of the flexible strip 14 is supported by the matches within the box and therefore as the supply of matches decreases, this portion 15 will assume a lower position within the box. In other words, as the supply of matches in the box decreases, the capacity of the receptacle above the strip 15 increases untillinally this receptacleis of a size approximating the size o f thebox itself. The capacity of the 'receptacle for the used matches therefore increases as the matches are` used, so that finally it is large enough to hold the used sticks of all of the kmatches originally in the box. Furthermore, it will be noted that the `foldable trayfromwhich -v the matches are withdrawn for use, is connected to the bottom 5 of the box so thatwhen the tray is in the open positionits bottom 9 is inclined to the horizontal.` By reason of this inclinationof the bottom 9'when the ktray isv moved to open position` andthe box is held in an upright position, the matches inthe box move readily out into thetray where they `can be easily grasped.

Moreover, when the supply of matches is.

readily reached.

What I claim is:

1. The combination ofa match-box, an open-ended cover adapted Ato .receivethe box therein, a trayat one end of the box adapted to be moved to the open position when the box is moved partially from within the cover, and y a receptacle for used matches at the other end of the box, which receptacle includes a flexiblemember adapted toV be supported upon the unusedmatches in the box; substantially as described.

2. The combination of a` match-box, ya cover therefor, a Vfoldable tray consisting ofa bottom and sides, `the bottomof the tray having one of its edges connected to one end of the bottom of the box, andV a receptacle for used matches `at the other ,end of the unused matches in the box; substantially as described. wall. .l If desired, this end of the iap 14 3. The combination of a match-box, .a cover therefor, a foldable trayat-one end of the box, and a Hexible strip constituting the other endof the box whenthe box is in Van upright open position, and forming a receptacle for used matches above it and Within the upper end of the cover of the boX;.

substantially as described.

4. The combination of a match-box, a cover therefor, a4 foldable tray at one end of the box, and a flexible strip secured at one end to the bottom of the box and adapted to have its other end secured to the cover of the box; substantially as described.

5. The combination of a match-box, a

cover therefor, a foldable tray consisting of a bottom and sides, the bottom of the tray having one of its edges connected to one end of the bottom of the box, and a eXible strip secured at one end to the inner surface of the bottom of the boX and adapted to have its other end secured to the cover; substantially as described.

In testimony wherof I afiix my signature.

ROBERT W. WILKES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

